Wanting
by Jim Handy
Summary: Kevin and Cessily talk some things over. Set during the Gifted arc from Astonishing.


Marvel owns all.

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"Hey."

Kevin had claimed one of the unused classrooms on the third floor as his workshop. It was a nice room, large, square, and lit by three windows, with no furniture except his worktable and scattered equipment. He had headed there immediately after Julian's rambling and incoherent talk with his team on the subject of The Cure. The only thing their fearless leader had made clear was that Ms. Frost had put him up to it. Santo had stormed off, sick of the whole situation, while Brian had stayed to chat up Julian and find out what, exactly was going on in his head. Cessily and Soorya had left together, whispering. After sitting there for several heartbeats, staring at nothing, he had sighed and headed for the third floor. He'd been there for almost an hour, trying to figure out where to put an old robotic arm for maximum effect, when a voice behind him startled him back into reality. Swiveling in his chair, he saw Cess leaning in the door frame.

"Hey yourself. Where's Soorya?" He wanted to kick himself. Smooth, Ford. Real smooth.

Cess didn't seem to notice, shifting slightly and brushing a lock of hair over her ear. "She wanted to be alone, and has the room to herself for now. Ashida's apparently decided to solve Mutantkind's problems by burning herself out." Peering at the bench, she asked "What's that?" She started forward, clearly intent on getting a closer look. She moved with a strange, fluid grace. Firmly telling himself not to blush, Kevin turned back to his current piece, now just a tangle old circuitry and mechanical parts. The lower levels of the mansion had turned out to be a treasure trove of new material.

"A - portrait. I'm not sure who of yet. Maybe one of the teachers?" He tried for a humorous smile. Cess just grinned and ran one long silver finger down a copper wire.

Looking at her hand, shining in the afternoon sunlight, Kevin found himself unable to avoid the questions that had been haunting him and the rest of the school for a little over three days. "Cess - Mercury?" She looked up, startled. This was the first time he'd used her code name outside of training. "Yes, Wither?" she asked a tad stiffly.

"You want it, don't you?"

No need for him to specify what 'it' was. Students had been talking of little else since Kavita Rao came on air and announced that science had won the war against mutation.

Cessily didn't answer right away. Her face smoothed into a metallic mask, and she started fiddling with plugs and metal limbs. She let her hands wash over them, covering them in bright, flashing waves of mercury. Finally she sighed and said "Did I ever tell you about the letter I got from my folks about a month and a half after I got here?"

Mutely, Kevin shook his head.

"They said I was their daughter, and they loved me no matter what. Still, though, wouldn't it be better for all three of us if I stayed here over the holidays? And looked into getting my own place as soon as I was done with school? I'd understand, wouldn't I, that seeing me around might give the neighbors certain ideas, and wouldn't it be better and safer for me to be with my own kind?" He pretended not to see the tears gathering in her eyes; she wouldn't thank him for calling attention. "And now I'm being told that there is a way I can get back home. I just have to go to the doctor's and admit that what I've been calling a gift is actually a disease." She shook her head and looked at Kevin as if expecting a response. After watching him stare blankly at the wall for a while, she asked "What about you? You don't have any plans to head to the clinic yourself, do you?"

Shaking his head absentmindedly, Kevin picked up his unfinished sculpture and began turning it slowly, methodically. "I can't really make up my mind on that score." She didn't need to know about the packed bags under his bead. "I'd imagine my dad would have to agree that the x - factor is a deadly disease." Cess flinched and looked away. Kevin tugged off one of his gloves to lay a hand on her right arm. Her skin felt strangely light, rippling underneath his hand. It was a strange but not unpleasant sensation. "Look, I'll talk to Professor Frost before I make a decision. For all the good it'll do me."

"They'll miss you." She said it so softly Kevin had to strain to hear. "And I'd - Soorya likes you, and so does Santo. As much as he likes anyone. I know Brian and Julian get on your nerves sometimes, but they're brats to everyone. They don't want to loose you either." Her eyes wide and pleading, she turned and looked him square in the face. "Why can't you see that? No one really wants you gone. Foley, maybe, but who cares what he thinks? Even Collins would be sad. Don't - Just please don't leave. Please."

He leaned back slowly and looked at her for a long, silent moment. "I can't promise you anything, Cess, but whatever I decide, you'll be the first to know." He gave her a gentle, awkward pat on the shoulder.

Cessily's face reverted to that shining mask, and he felt a pang of regret. "Well. All right then, Ford. I'll see you later." She stalked out, carefully looking straight ahead.

Cursing silently, Kevin slipped his glove back on and turned to his unfinished project. Today wasn't going to be the day he decided. He ought to try and focus on whatever was coming into being under his hands. Instead, all he could see were silvery waves, engulfing cold metal and flowing freely beneath his bare skin.


End file.
